Iraq’s Prime Minister Declares Victory Over ISIS in Mosul

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Despite Victory Iraq’s Christians Still Face Uncertain Future

07/09/2017 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Iraq’s Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, has announced that Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, has been liberated from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This liberation comes more than three years after the city was captured by ISIS forces on June 10, 2014.

While visiting Mosul on Sunday, Prime Minister al-Abadi tweeted he arrived in the “liberated city of Mosul” and “congratulates the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people in achieving this great victory.” Despite the Prime Minister’s claims of victory, state television in Iraq reported that ISIS militants were still holding out in a neighborhood of Mosul.

For Christians displaced by ISIS, the announcement of Mosul’s liberation is something that has been long awaited. More than 100,000 Christians were driven from their homes in and around Mosul by the ISIS militants following the group’s capture of the city in 2014. Since then, many Christians have lived as IDPs in cities across northern Iraq such as Erbil. Christians who remained in Mosul were captured, forced to convert to Islam, pay a protection fee, or face death.

While the liberation of Mosul is surely good news for many Christians in Iraq, questions about their community’s future remain unanswered.

“As Mosul [is] fully liberated, the government should do something to help the people effected,” Rabea, a Christian displaced by ISIS in 2014, told ICC. “Will the government be able to cover the cost of rebuilding our communities?”

“Also, forces are still fighting around Mosul and other places inside Iraq because the liberation of Mosul doesn’t mean that Iraq is fully liberated from ISIS,” Rabea continued.

“ISIS’s capture of Mosul and the Nineveh Plains was more than just an occupation for Christians,” Father Albert, a Catholic Priest in Baghdad, explained to ICC. “It’s related to trust. ISIS broke the community and Christians will not be able to mix within the general community anymore. This means many will seek immigration in the long term.”

“Half of the civilians in Mosul joined ISIS,” Father Albert continued. “Christians saw many movies on social media of how civilians welcomed ISIS in June 2014. How can they trust those people anymore?”

Christians have lived in Mosul and the surrounding Nineveh Plains for nearly 2,000 years. In Mosul alone, the population was believed to include 35,000 Christians, down from 60,000 in 2003. All 45 of Mosul’s churches and Christian institutions have been overrun by ISIS or destroyed since 2014.

William Stark, Regional Manager for ICC, said, “Although the liberation of Mosul is something to be celebrated, it doesn’t change the fact that there is still a long road and difficult road ahead for Iraq’s Christians. For over three years, ISIS was allowed to occupy Mosul and its surrounding towns, some of which were considered Christian safe havens. During this occupation, ISIS not only destroyed much of what these Christians considered the symbols of their community, such as churches and schools, but also the homes these Christians were forced to leave in 2014. There is much healing and rebuilding needed if Christians are to return to their communities in northern Iraq. Both Iraq and the international community must take steps to insure extremist groups, like ISIS, are unable to gain a foothold in Iraq and persecute the country’s already vulnerable religious minorities. If bold action is not taken, one of ISIS’s legacies in Iraq could still be driving Christianity out of one of its ancient homelands.”

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My next door neighbor
A so called
Self proclaimed pastor is into same crapp
I’m a Christian and I’m against conversation from any religion to any other

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Do we fully believe this? And no, it’s not easy. May we be faithful to pray for them, that God would work in and thru, and despite, the insidious injustices they are forced to endure.

TTERRIBL GOVERMENT OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN ARE TIRANY

Lord Jesus please bring peace and security in India. Amen

Please pray that the BJP government should not win in the upcoming elections.

I can’t stand liars. Praying for our brothers and sisters in India.

How can someone force to change my soul?

Hindus in India basically are innocent souls, but now a days some of them become tool of devil force’s

Dear Father God,
COME GET YOUR CHILDREN

Praying

What utter nonsense. Christians do NOT use FORCE when sharing their faith. It is a personal CHOICE and our duty is to SHARE it with others, THEIR choice is to accept or reject it.

We’ve shared about India’s growing persecution as religious and political tension mounts. This video delves into the recent incidents of Pastor Gideon in southern India, who was apparently hung in his church, and a mob that burned a church in northern India. Please continue to pray for Christians in India to respond in love, to be protected, and to have good communication with non-Christians in their communities. … See MoreSee Less

May we listen and learn. May we not feel overcome with sadness and/or despair, but be faithful to pray for these fellow believers. Jesus told us that such persecutions would come and He holds the answers to every such attack, every such killing. The gates of hell shall not prevail, so we pray for comfort, for courage, for forgiveness, for strength, and for wisdom for all affected. Our God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine, so let’s ask in complete faith, of He, Who is more than able.

Evil spirits blowing across India.
Only prayers & fasting can stop it from turning into Sodom and Gomorrah.

American citizen and pastor Andrew Brunson sits imprisoned in a Turkish prison for his faith. Now, Serkan Golge, a dual Turkish-American citizen, is serving 7.5 years in Turkey’s prisons on false charges on terrorism. Senator James Lankford is calling for the US to impose sanctions in light of Turkey’s actions.

Please continue to pray for Pastor Brunson and other prisoners of conscience in Turkey. More details in Sen. Lankford’s commentary below: … See MoreSee Less

I see death murder and terrorism in country which follow fake character
Go
Follow the real saviour
We will pray for you

Hahaha nobody need your prayers
It is one of the peaceful country on earth
See America daily gun violence and murder all because of following fake character
Follow lord Buddha

See daily shooting in America
They are following a fake and phony religion
We will pray for America
The devil will claim more life in America
Worship the real lord before it’s too late

Praise be to the lord…. 😇

Absolutely beautiful! I will save this song for me! 💗

That is because Christianity bucks ancient Nepal traditions.

How can I find it in you tube? What’s the name of it please?

Beautiful song and worship ❤️🙌🏼

In any language. God is Love!!!!

Really beautiful! Dameria Ehring

America is worst country for Hindus , Buddhism and Muslims
One of the worst country for gun violence they need real saviour
We will pray for them
Come to the real lord Buddha
See devil is killing more innocent lives in America
Stop promoting fake religion and start believing in the one true lord

Just 4 days after the last attack in a series that occurred one year ago, masked gunmen murdered another el-Arish Christian. We remember these men who gave their lives to follow Christ and ask you to join us in praying for their families, communities, and even those who persecuted them.

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you… But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Matt. 24:9a, 13) … See MoreSee Less